Scotland, Isle of Islay. Distillery operational. Owner: Diageo

Fully modernized between 1972 and 1974, Caol Ila escaped the wave of closures sweeping through the Scotch whisky industry in the early 1980s. A key component in numerous blends, including Johnnie Walker, Bulloch Lade and Black Bottle, Caol Ila remained for a long time overshadowed by its illustrious sister Lagavulin. Up until the late 1980s, its malt was available in 12 and 15 year old versions bottled by Bulloch Lade & Co. In the early 1990s, United Distilleries launched two ranges showcasing all of its distilleries, The Rare Malts Selection and Flora & Fauna. Four versions of Caol Ila would be bottled first (vintage and cask strength limited editions), followed by a 43% 14 year old. Note that a 1983 cask strength in the very short-lived Fauna & Flora Cask Strength range and, more importantly, a classic 15 year old sherry cask - The Manager's Dram - were also released. In order to relieve Lagavulin of the pressure on its stocks in the early 2000s, Caol Ila was officially released on the market in 2002 in the Hidden Malt range, alongside three versions of its malt, a no-age-statement cask strength (55%), a 12 year old, and an 18 year old, followed by a 1978 25 year old in 2004.

A Caol Ila 12 year old bottled in the late 1980s. Another 43% version also exists with a similar label bottled in the early 1960s. As was common at the time, Caol Ila’’s production was used primarily for blends, especially Johnnie Walker. This Caol Ila 12 year old was released by Bulloch Lade & Co, the former owner of the distillery, which was bought by Distillers Company Limited after WWI. Bulloch Lade kept Caol Ila’’s operating license, notably for the blends Glen Ila and B&L, before it was recovered by the new entity United Distillers, formed by DCL and Guinness. This expression appeared in the Flora & Fauna range in 1991 and finally joined the classic range in 2002, where it has remained ever since.